Provision of School Milk

About the buyer

St Helens Council buys as a local authority, with procurement through STAR Procurement, a shared service spanning six Greater Manchester and Merseyside councils. Every opportunity is advertised on The Chest, the council's e-procurement portal. Opportunities above a set value appear on the government's Contract Finder, with larger tenders on Find a Tender. St Helens is also a member of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, based in Wakefield. A public contracts register lists current agreements and their renewal dates. Standard terms and conditions apply to suppliers wherever possible. Social value and support for small and medium enterprises factor into every award.

UK local government drives £140bn in annual procurement, led by social protection (£66.6bn) and education (£57.1bn).

Over the past 5 years, most of St Helens Council's contract awards have been in construction work, transport equipment and IT services.